Trailside Chat
Trailside (minus the trail) Chat with Emily Halnon
Place
870 Williston Road
South Burlington, VT US 05403
Description
A trailside (minus the trail) chat between Vermont-born bestselling author and ultrarunner Emily Halnon and local ultrarunner Aliza Lapierre about Emily's record-breaking 460-mile run across the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to celebrate the life of her mother, Andrea Halnon, after losing her to a rare cancer. Emily and Aliza will be digging into stories from Emily's Oregon PCT run; her book, To the Gorge; and other extra-long trail adventures (and the Vermont City Marathon, of course). Expect to walk away with a nugget or two to help you through your hardest runs (like maybe a 13.1- or 26.2-mile one on Sunday morning).
Phoenix Books will be selling Emily's memoir, To the Gorge, before and after the chat in the main exhibition hall and Emily will be signing copies after the chat.
About Emily Halnon
Emily Halnon (she/her) is a writer, trail runner, and mountain athlete out of Eugene, Oregon. Some of her most notable runs include setting the fastest known time (FKT) on the 460-mile Oregon Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), placing in the top 10 at the Hardrock Endurance Run, and finishing 100-milers across the Cascades, Siskiyous, and San Juans.
She is the author of the bestselling memoir, To the Gorge. Her writing, which often explores the intersection of running and the human experience, has been published in outlets including the Washington Post, the Guardian, Salon, CNN, Runner’s World, Trail Runner Magazine, and Adventure Journal.
Emily has many ties to Vermont—and VCM! She grew up in Lincoln, attended Middlebury College (’06.5), and became a runner in the Green Mountains. After watching her mother, Andrea, run her first marathon at VCM at the age of 50, Emily felt wildly inspired to try the distance herself—and got totally hooked on the sport.
About To the Gorge
A riveting narrative of love and loss, grief, and joy, as one woman embarks on a quest for a record on the Pacific Crest Trail.
When Emily Halnon lost her beloved mother to a rare uterine cancer at just sixty-six years old, she wanted to do something monumental to honor the person her mother had been: adventurous, courageous, inspiring. It was going to take something special to pay tribute to such a remarkable, life-loving spirit. Emily, already an accomplished ultrarunner (inspired to initially start running by her mother), decided to try to break the record for the Fastest Known Time by a woman on the Pacific Crest Trail’s 460 miles across Oregon. As she laid out plans for her run, she began to wonder: Could she also break the men’s record?
Interwoven with Halnon’s eight-day effort are her remembrances from her mother’s life and death, exploring the complicated experience of grief—and what shines through it.
About Aliza Lapierre
Aliza Lapierre (she/her) is an ultrarunner from Vermont, who finds peace and a sense of belonging while running in mountains. Aliza's passion began by exploring her home state on her own two feet fueled by maple syrup, curiosity and the beauty of nature. Over the years Aliza has continually strived to redefine what she is capable of while trying to inspire others to go beyond their perceived limits.
Pictures Worth 1,000 Words
Event Contact Info
If you have any questions about this event, click the button below.
